Bees and Hippies and Hot Springs...OH MY!

A lot has been going on since I blogged last. Was any of it SUPER exciting...well, no. But we have been having fun together as a family and even though it wouldn't make the headlines of the Deseret News, we have enjoyed ourselves.

Last Thursday we got tickets to go a Salt Lake Bees baseball game with my parents and my sister Becca and her hubby Spencer. It was a lot of fun and I want to give a thanks to my Aunt Kathy for giving us the tickets.



Gabe, always being safety aware, knew that foul balls were a concern. So after finishing his popcorn, he turned the bucket into a helmet. Now he is "safe" and adorable!

And what game would be complete without a visit from Bumble, the Bee's mascot? If you ask Gabe, that would have made for a much happier baseball game! Eeep! Scary Bee!

And this past weekend our family made a trip to one of our favorite places to visit. HIPPY HOT SPRINGS! And this year was even better because Bubba was there and also because Mom and Dad's cabin actually had a door and not just a piece of tie-dyed fabric.

Gabe was having a good time despite his reservations about the water being hot. He was really enjoying himself until he slipped on the slick rock and went under the water for a second. Then he was kind of scared and mad at me for letting it happen. Clearly, this was my fault and so as punishment Gabe threw my cell phone into the hot spring. Androids are amazing phones but folks, they aren't waterproof by any means!
But Gabe was not the only person having a great time! Here are Spenny and Dad doing some fancy swimming. Excellent form in the arms Spencer! And Dad...nice swim trunks?
Here we have The Ladies enjoying the lovely surroundings along with the warm water.
I do have to praise Spencer for not only for his excellent dance form but also for his environmental awareness. As he was exiting the hot springs he almost stepped on this little guy but stopped himself just in time. And Ryan, not to be outsmarted by a frog, chased Walter (Yes, I named the frog.) because he wanted to show it to Gabe. Gabe was not impressed but the rest of us were!

This weekend is sure to be full of excitment with Byron and Holly's wedding carnival extravaganza! Not to mention Gabe's 2nd birthday next week, the rehersal dinner, and the wedding day. I am going to be busy so I may not post again for a little bit but I gave you 2 posts tonight so that should tide you over for a bit. Much love to you all!

Boot Scootin'

Gabe is considering a career in furniture moving. He is kind of lazy however and will only be available for rocking chairs. ENJOY!

P.S. Those marks on my parents floor came off...no worries!

Top 10 Things That Are Bugging Me Right Now

Please take this Top 10 with a grain of salt or perhaps a shot of whiskey. I have not had any coffee today so I am "in a mood."

Top 10 Things that Are Bugging Me Right Now

1. The snacks in my drawers. Right now, I really wish I had more food than a bag of Cheddar Cheese Rice Cakes. What the hell was I thinking? Why didn’t I buy something that would actually satisfy a craving? Oh but Rachel, they have 0 grams of Trans Fat and 13 grams of Whole Grains. You know what? All 13 of those whole grains can kiss my butt-I want a damn Snickers bar!

2. The pedometer on my side that reminds me of how much I hate walking.

3. The people walking across the street to go get coffee. You suck-unless you bring me an iced vanilla latte and then, you are AWESOME!

4. The fact that people assume I am in charge of a function simply because I made the sign-up sheet for it. No, it just means I know how to use clipart better than the person who really is in charge.

5. This itchy patch of dry skin on the side of my nose.

6. The fact that I am being so whiney. I hate it when I annoy myself.

7. The envelopes I have been helping to address. People, listen up. I love you and how crafty you can be. The cute handmade invites to things are fabulous! However, if you would like me to help address things in the future, make your invites with a normal size envelope. My handwriting blows and to try and make it tiny enough to fit on your cutesy envelopes…not happening. On second thought, the next time, I am buying sticker labels.

8. People who think I am a grump because I don’t love planning/attending wedding showers, baby showers, blah, blah, blah. I hate the little games you play and all the garbage. I am not saying that I don’t love you and that I am against your special event. But don’t expect me to get so excited over playing a game where you unscramble the names of household items or go all sappy over tiny little nut cups with pink and blue mints. Just let me show up, give you my gift, and smile and be grateful I am not drunk.

9. Thunder and lightening storms that keeps you up when you are trying to sleep.

10. Sisters that will not have a baby because your child needs a cousin. Who cares if you and your husband are career-minded and responsible? Get busy and give my son a playmate already!

More Gabe to come soon! Much love to you all!

So Much Love

It has been a little while since I have posted and I appologize about that. We have had a busy month of July. I want to take this quick opportunity to say thanks to our families and friends for all your support. It was a hard month and Ryan and I were tested to our limits. But one thing we learned is that we have amazing families and incredible friends who will stick by us no matter what. Things may not have gone as well as we hoped but we know that some day Sera will see that we fought for her and always tried to help her be in the best situation. She will know we love her and always have.

That being said, Gabe is doing great! He is always keeping us smiling and we love him more and more every day.

As 2-years-old approaches we are seeing him be more and more of a little boy. He is getting stubborn and so independent. He is talking so much and trying to do everything by himself. And boy does he LOVE books! He cannot get enough books and Ryan and I are always reading to him. He is getting so big too-he wears a size 3 in clothes which is so hard to believe!

And just look at his cheesey smile! He loves the camera and is such a ham. But with a smile like that it is hard not to love him to pieces.

While Ryan's parents were in town at the end of July we decided to take Gabe to Jungle Jim's Playland in Midvale. It was hot outside and we wanted to let Gabe play so it was a good choice. Yes the place is old and a little rundown in some aspects but Gabe didn't care. It was clean and that was really all that mattered to me.

Gabe loved all the rides even though he wasn't sure at first. He may look like he is freaked out in the pictures but he never cried or made a scene. He even seemed to like the roller coaster but his eyes got as big as eggs when it started to go backwards!

On the Jeep ride he gave me a little bit of a half smile until the ride started. Once it was going he was concerned about the car behind him bumping his car. It was funny to watch him give the kid behind him the stink eye every time the cars bumped.

He really enjoyed the space ship ride but didn't really like pulling the handle to raise up the ship.
And what trip to Jungle Jim's would be complete without a ride on the merry-go-round. It was late so Gabe didn't want to smile but I still think this picture is really cute!
Gabe's favorite ride by far was the swings! He wanted to ride them over and over! And every time he did, we couldn't stop laughing. If you watch the movie below I think you will see why.

Thanks again to everyone for all your support and prayers. We love you all so much!